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United States Patent |
6,106,752
|
Chang
,   et al.
|
August 22, 2000
|
Use of injection molding to orient short fibers in desired directions
Abstract
A method for molding short fiber/rubber composite articles having enhanced
mechanical properties by aligning short reinforcing fibers during an
injection molding process. The method comprises injecting a molding
mixture through an injection gate arranged in a predetermined relationship
to the molding cavity. The injection gate has a relatively small thickness
in comparison to the thickness of the molding cavity. The fibers are
associated with a first direction, generally parallel to the flow of the
molding mixture as the molding mixture moves through the gate. As the
molding mixture passes through the gate and into the cavity, the fiber
direction is altered as the molding material fills the cavity.
Inventors:
|
Chang; Ching-Chian (Copley, OH);
Shaw; Cheng (Copley, OH);
Vogliano; Robert Henry (Tallmadge, OH)
|
Assignee:
|
The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company (Akron, OH)
|
Appl. No.:
|
194417 |
Filed:
|
November 28, 1998 |
PCT Filed:
|
September 24, 1996
|
PCT NO:
|
PCT/US96/15237
|
371 Date:
|
November 27, 1998
|
102(e) Date:
|
November 27, 1998
|
PCT PUB.NO.:
|
WO98/13185 |
PCT PUB. Date:
|
April 2, 1998 |
Current U.S. Class: |
264/108; 264/328.12 |
Intern'l Class: |
B29C 017/00 |
Field of Search: |
264/108,328.1,328.2,328.12
|
References Cited
U.S. Patent Documents
3901961 | Aug., 1975 | Gorter et al. | 264/108.
|
4000229 | Dec., 1976 | Wainer | 264/24.
|
4094952 | Jun., 1978 | Frank | 264/328.
|
4790992 | Dec., 1988 | Nishikawa | 425/206.
|
4919876 | Apr., 1990 | Savage et al. | 264/258.
|
4994220 | Feb., 1991 | Gutjahr et al. | 264/69.
|
5074772 | Dec., 1991 | Gutjahr | 425/130.
|
5156907 | Oct., 1992 | Layden | 428/302.
|
5262106 | Nov., 1993 | Graham et al. | 264/108.
|
5281380 | Jan., 1994 | Umeda et al. | 264/108.
|
5331751 | Jul., 1994 | Harwood | 36/77.
|
5702546 | Dec., 1997 | Itoh et al. | 152/209.
|
Foreign Patent Documents |
4030274C1 | Oct., 1991 | DK | .
|
0419403 | Mar., 1991 | EP | .
|
03114811 | Aug., 1991 | JP | .
|
04090317 | Mar., 1992 | JP | 264/108.
|
Other References
Document entitled Abrasion Failure of Vulcanizate Containing Short Fibres.
Prior art search.
Document entitled Tires Made of Short Fiber Reinforced Rubber by Naohiko
Kikuchi dated Jun. 1996.
Patent Abstracts of Japan.
International Search Report.
|
Primary Examiner: Silbaugh; Jan H.
Assistant Examiner: Lee; Dae Young
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Emerson; Roger D
Claims
Having thus described the invention, it is now claimed:
1. A method for producing a fiber reinforced composite article (40) by
injecting a molding compound into a mold cavity (20) of a mold assembly
(10), said molding compound (30) comprising elastomeric material and
reinforcing fibers, said fibers having a length from 0.1 microns to
10.sup.3 microns, the method being characterized by the steps of:
directing a portion of said molding compound through an inlet gate (24),
said inlet gate having an associated length l.sub.1, width w.sub.1, and
thickness t.sub.1, and such that a majority of said reinforcing fibers
contained in said portion are oriented parallel to a direction of flow in
said inlet gate; and
directing said portion from said inlet gate into a region of said mold
cavity, said region of said mold cavity having a thickness T.sub.1
parallel to t.sub.1, wherein T.sub.1 is greater than or equal to
10t.sub.1, said portion of said molding compound forming a series of
folding planes (35) perpendicular to the direction of flow in said region,
and wherein said majority of said reinforcing fibers are oriented in a
direction perpendicular to the direction of flow in said fiber reinforced
composite article.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein said reinforcing fibers have a swell ratio
equal to or smaller than 0.85 parallel to the direction of flow in said
inlet gate.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein said the ratio of part thickness to gate
thickness should be sufficiently large so that the reinforcing fibers have
a swell ratio equal to or smaller than 0.85 and have orientation direction
perpendicular to the direction of flow in said inlet gate.
4. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of:
forming said molding compound by mixing said fiber to said elastomeric
material in a weight ratio of from 1% to 20%.
5. The method of claim 1 wherein the ratio of T.sub.1 /t.sub.1 is greater
than 10.
6. The method or claim 1 further comprising the step of:
directing a second portion of said molding compound through a second inlet
gate, said second inlet gate having an associated length l.sub.2, width
w.sub.2, and thickness t.sub.2, and wherein a majority of said reinforcing
fibers contained in said second portion are oriented parallel to the
direction of flow in said second inlet gate.
7. The method of claim 6 further comprising the step of:
directing said second portion from said second inlet gate into a second
region of said mold cavity, said second region of said mold cavity having
a thickness T.sub.2, parallel to t.sub.2, wherein T.sub.2 is greater than
or equal to 10t.sub.2, said second portion forming a series of folding
planes, said planes being perpendicular to the direction of flow in said
second region, and wherein said majority of said reinforcing fibers are
oriented in a direction perpendicular to direction of flow.
8. The method of claim 1 wherein said elastomeric material is selected from
the group consisting of: natural rubbers, synthetic rubbers, and their
blends.
9. The method of claim 1 wherein said reinforcing fibers are selected from
the group consisting of: kevlar pulp, nylon, hyten, and acrylic.
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD
This invention pertains to the art of methods and apparatuses for producing
short fiber/rubber composite articles through injection molding and to
those composite articles so produced, and more specifically to methods and
apparatuses for orienting the reinforcing fibers of a composite article in
a predetermined direction.
BACKGROUND ART
Generally, composite articles formed of an elastomeric base material and
reinforcing fibers are common in the art. The reinforcing fibers impart
improved mechanical properties, such as abrasion resistance, tensile
strength, compression resistance, and the like to the composite article.
The fiber distribution and orientation are important factors which affect
such properties. Controlling fiber orientation, therefore, is an important
consideration in order to provide a composite article having the desired
mechanical properties.
There are known techniques for orienting reinforcing fibers in an
elastomeric material. However, in many processes the fibers are generally
oriented in a direction consistent with and parallel to the initial
material flow direction. A problem encountered in the art relates to
orienting reinforcing fibers in a composite article in a direction which
differs from the material flow and especially in a direction perpendicular
thereto.
One method proposed to orient fibers in a composite article in a direction
which varies from the material flow is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No.
5,156,907 wherein a heated mixture of molding compound (glass) and fibers
(carbon) is injected through an elongated injection port into a die. The
injection port has a thickness which is purported to be between 30%-70% of
the die thickness. The optimum fiber length is 0.5 inches (1.27 cm) for
the particular carbon fiber/glass matrix utilized.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,281,380 discloses a fiber reinforced elastic sheet in which
staples are oriented in the vertical direction of the sheet. Staple
material, such as Nylon 66, is mixed into thermoplastic material and
extruded through a molding die. The molding die includes a weir portion
which is said to initially orients the fibers in the flow direction.
Downstream from the weir portion is a flow passage which has a dimension
at least twice that of the weir portion. After passing through the weir
portion, the flow direction is changed, thereby changing the fiber
orientation with respect to the sheet surface. The sheet so formed can then
be further processed for an intended application.
The present invention provides methods and apparatuses for orienting short
fibers (fibers having a length of 0.1 microns to 10.sup.3 microns) in a
composite article formed by injection molding a molding compound
comprising a fiber/elastomeric material blend. The fibers utilized are
known as "short fibers" in the art and have a length considerably shorter
than the 0.5 inch (1.2 cm) length of short fibers of the U.S. Pat. No.
5,156,907 patent discussed in above.
DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION
The present invention is directed to methods and apparatuses for forming
composite articles comprising reinforcing fibers. More particularly, the
present invention is directed to methods and apparatuses for directing
fiber orientation in composite articles formed by injection molding a
molding compound composed of short fibers and elastomeric material.
According to one aspect of the present invention, a method for producing a
fiber reinforced composite article by curing a molding compound after
injecting the molding compound into a mold cavity of a mold, the molding
compound comprising elastomeric material and reinforcing fibers, the
fibers having a length from 0.1 microns to 10.sup.3 microns is provided.
The method is characterized by the steps of:
a) directing a first portion of the molding compound through a first inlet
gate, the first inlet gate having an associated length l1, width w1, and
thickness t1, and wherein a majority of the reinforcing fibers contained
in the first portion are oriented parallel to the initial injection
direction, X; and,
b) directing the first portion from the first inlet gate into a first
region of said mold cavity, the first region of the mold cavity having a
dimension, T1, parallel to t1, wherein T1 is greater than or equal to
10t1, the first portion forming a series of folding planes perpendicular
to XZ plane in the first region, and wherein the majority of the
reinforcing fibers are oriented in a direction perpendicular to the gate
plane, XZ plane, or oriented in the Y direction.
According to another aspect of the invention, the method further includes
the steps of:
c) directing a second portion of the molding compound through a second
inlet gate, the second inlet gate having an associated length, l2, width,
w2, and thickness, t2, and wherein a majority of the reinforcing fibers
contained in the second portion are oriented parallel to the injection
direction X; and,
d) directing the second portion from the second inlet gate into a second
region of the mold cavity, the second region of the mold cavity having a
dimension, T2, parallel to t2, wherein T2 is greater than or equal to
10t2, the second portion forming a series of planes, the folding planes
being perpendicular to XZ plane in the second region, and wherein the
majority of the reinforcing fibers are oriented in a direction
perpendicular to the XZ plane, or oriented in the Y direction.
According to another aspect of the invention, the method further comprises
the step of:
forming the molding compound by mixing the fiber to the elastomeric
material in a weight ratio of from 1% to 20%.
According to another aspect of the invention, a composite article
comprising elastomeric material and reinforcing fibers having a first area
wherein a majority of said fibers contained therein are oriented in a
first direction and a second area wherein a majority of said fibers
contained therein are oriented in a second direction is produced by:
a) injecting a first portion of a molding compound through a first inlet
gate, said first inlet gate having an associated length, l1, width, w1,
and thickness t1, and wherein a majority of said reinforcing fibers
contained in said first portion are oriented parallel to the injection
direction X;
b) directing said first portion from said first inlet gate into a first
region of said mold cavity, said first region of said mold cavity having a
dimension, T1, parallel to t1, wherein T1 is greater than or equal to
10t1, said first portion forming a series of folding planes perpendicular
to XZ plane in said first region, and wherein said majority of said
reinforcing fibers are oriented in a direction perpendicular to XZ plane,
said first portion forming said first area of said composite article upon
curing said molding compound;
c) injecting a second portion of said molding compound through a second
inlet gate, said second inlet gate having an associated length l2, width
w2, and thickness t2, and wherein a majority of said reinforcing fibers
contained in said second portion are oriented parallel to the injection
direction X; and,
d) directing said second portion from said second inlet gate into a second
region of said mold cavity, said second region of said mold cavity having
a dimension T2, parallel to t2, wherein T2 is greater than or equal to
10t2, said second portion forming a series of planes, said planes being
perpendicular to X-Z plane in said second region, and wherein said
majority of said reinforcing fibers are oriented in a direction
perpendicular to X-Z plane, said second portion forming said second area
of said composite article upon curing said molding compound.
According to yet another aspect of the invention, a method of producing a
composite article having reinforcing fibers in first and second areas is
provided. The fibers in the first area are aligned in a first
pre-determined direction and the fibers in the second area are aligned in
a second predetermined direction. The method being characterized by the
steps of:
a) filling a first region of a mold cavity with a first portion of a
molding compound having reinforcing fibers therein, a majority of said
reinforcing fibers being aligned in said first pre-determined direction;
b) filling a second region of said mold cavity with a second portion of
said molding compound, a majority of said reinforcing fibers being aligned
in said second pre-determined direction; and,
c) curing said molding compound.
According to another aspect of the invention, the step of filling said
first region of said mold cavity comprises:
a) associating said first region with a first inlet gate, said first inlet
gate having an associated length l1, width w1, and thickness t1, said
first region having a dimension T1 parallel to t1 with T1 being greater
than or equal to 10t1; and,
b) injecting said first portion through said first inlet gate wherein a
majority of said reinforcing fibers in said first portion are aligned
parallel to l1 in said first inlet gate.
According to another aspect of the invention, the step of filling said
second region of said mold cavity comprises:
a) associating said second region with a second inlet gate, said second
inlet gate having an associated length l2, width w2 and thickness t2, said
second region having a dimension T2 parallel to t2 with T2 being greater
than or equal to 10t2; and,
b) injecting said second portion through said second inlet gate wherein a
majority of said reinforcing fibers in said second portion are aligned
parallel to l2 in said second inlet gate.
One advantage of the present invention is the ability to align short fibers
in a composite article in a direction which differs from the initial flow
direction.
Another advantage of the invention is the ability to form a composite
article having fibers aligned in pre-determined direction.
Yet another advantage of the invention is the ability to form a composite
article having fibers aligned in a first predetermined direction in a
first area and fibers aligned in a second predetermined direction is a
second area.
Another advantage of the present invention is the ability to form a
composite article through an injection molding process wherein the
composite article comprises reinforcing fibers which are aligned to
optimize the article's performance.
Still other benefits and advantages of the invention will become apparent
to those skilled in the art to which it pertains upon a reading and
understanding of the following detailed specification.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
The invention may take physical form in certain parts and arrangement of
parts, a preferred embodiment of which will be described in detail in this
specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings which form a
part hereof and wherein:
FIG. 1 is a perspective cross-sectional view of an exemplary mold used in
an injection molding process according to the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a end sectional view of the mold of FIG. 1 taken along line 2--2
of FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 1 showing the introduction of molding
compound into the mold;
FIG. 4 is a schematic view in partial cross-section of a composite article
formed in the mold of FIG. 1 according to the present invention;
FIG. 5 is a front cross-sectional view of another embodiment of a mold and
molding compound according to the invention;
FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a composite article formed in the mold
of FIG. 5;
FIG. 7 is a front cross-sectional view of yet another embodiment mold and
molding compound according to the invention, and,
FIG. 8 is a front cross-sectional view of yet another mold and molding
compound according to the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Referring now to the drawings wherein the showings are for purposes of
illustrating a preferred embodiment of the invention only and not for
purposes of limiting the same, FIG. 1 shows a side sectional view of an
exemplary mold assembly 10 having first and second mold members 12,14
which cooperate to form a mold cavity 20. An inlet gate 24 directs a flow
of molding compound (not shown) into a first region 30 of the mold cavity
20.
In this example, the mold cavity 20 is associated with a thickness T1, in a
direction perpendicular to the plane of material flow through inlet gate
24. The gate 24 has an associated thickness t1. In a preferred embodiment
of the invention, T1 is greater than or equal to 10t1.
Inlet gate 24 is associated with a length l1 which is sufficient to
initially orient short fibers carried in the material flow as will be
discussed later in this specification. If length l1 is too long the
molding compound 30 may scorch or even cure in the inlet gate 24, leading
to poor quality in the component. If the length l1 is too short, the
fibers 64 may not become fully oriented in the direction of flow before
entering the mold cavity 20.
For example, in a trial involving a block of rubber, l1 was equal to 1.3
inches (3.3 cm) and thickness t1 was equal to 0.016 inches (0.04 cm). In
this trial, the ratio of the l1 to the thickness t1 was 81 and was
sufficient to deliver good performance.
In another example a trial was conducted. In this trial l1 was equal to
0.25 inches (0.64 cm) and thickness t1 was equal to 0.025 inches (0.064
cm). In this trial, the ratio of the l1 to the thickness t1 was 10 and was
not sufficient to deliver good performance. This ratio didn't provide
enough orientation to the fibers.
In another trial, l1 was equal to 1.2 inches (3.05 cm) and thickness t1 was
equal to 0.016 inches (0.04 cm). In this trial, the ratio of the l1 to the
thickness t1 was 75 and was sufficient to deliver good performance. This
ratio has continued to perform well and is the preferred ratio.
With reference to FIG. 2, the inlet gate 24 is associated with a width w1
which is essentially the same as the width W1 of mold cavity 20.
As shown in FIG. 3, in an injection molding process, a molding compound 30
is forced through inlet gate 24 from a typical runner system (not shown).
The molding compound 30 is therefore directed in a first direction, or
direction of flow, parallel to the length l1 of inlet gate 24, as
indicated by arrow 32. As the molding compound 30 passes into a first end
34 of mold cavity 20, the flow direction changes with respect to the first
direction. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, at the junction of the inlet
gate 24 with the mold cavity 30, the second flow direction is generally
perpendicular to the first direction. The molding compound then folds over
onto itself, creating a series of planes 36 generally perpendicular to the
first direction as the molding compound fills the mold cavity.
In a preferred embodiment, the molding compound 30 comprises elastomeric
material and reinforcing fibers. The reinforcing fibers are commonly known
as "short fibers" and may be kevlar pulp, nylon, hyten, PET, POY nylon and
PET, crimped nylon, Lycra Spandex, PAN carbon fibers, acrylic, graphite
carbon whiskers and the like having a length in the range of from 0.1
microns to 10.sup.3 microns.
The length l1 and thickness t1 of the inlet gate 24 are designed to cause
orientation of the short fibers within the inlet gate 24 upstream from the
mold cavity 20. Because of the range of fiber length, the thickness t1 of
the inlet gate 24 must be comparably narrow with respect to inlet ports
known in the prior art in order that a majority of the fibers are aligned
with the flow. Preferably, there is a swelling ratio of at least 0.80 in
the flow direction as indicated by arrow 32. The swelling ratio is defined
as a short axis divided by a long axis when a circular short fiber loaded
rubber sample is swelled into an oval shape in toluene to equilibrium
state. The short axis direction is parallel to the fiber orientation
direction. A swell ratio less than 1.0 indicates the existence of fiber
orientation. The smaller the swelling ratio, the higher the degree of
fiber orientation. A swelling ratio of 1.0 denotes no orientation.
Likewise, the inlet gate 24 must have a minimum length 1 to allow
sufficient flow time in order to orient the fibers.
Upon passing through the inlet gate 24 into the mold cavity 20, the
direction of flow of the molding compound is altered. At the junction of
the inlet gate 24 with the mold cavity 20, the opening for the molding
material is significantly increased in the direction parallel to thickness
t1 of the inlet gate 24, or perpendicular to the initial flow direction,
causing the flow direction to be altered which affects the fiber
orientation with respect to the initial flow direction.
After the mold cavity is filled, the molding compound is cured to form the
composite article of the present invention.
With reference again to FIG. 1, the offset distance 100 between the inlet
gate 24 and a first interior wall 90 will now be discussed. The distance
between the inlet gate 24 and the interior walls 90,92 of the mold cavity
20 can influence the orientation of the fibers.
If the offset distance 100 is too small, the molding compound 30 may get
hung up or temporarily attached to the nearest interior wall 90,92. For
ease of explanation, the following discussion will be made with reference
to interior wall 90 although the discussion is equally applicable to
either, closer interior wall 90,92. As stated, if the offset distance 100
is not chosen with consideration of the particular molding conditions, the
folding pattern desired may be destroyed by the molding compound 30. For
example, for molding compounds 30 which are especially tacky, or which are
molded at conditions which make the molding compound 30 especially tacky,
the offset distance 100 must be large enough to avoid the problem
addressed above. While some molding compounds 30 can be successfully run
in some conditions where the offset distance 100 is equal to zero,
generally the offset distance 100 should be greater than 0.25 T1.
If the offset distance 100 is too great, for example equal to 0.50 T1, some
molding compounds 30 in some particular applications may not generate the
type and number of folds necessary to achieve the desired fiber
orientation. The particular parameters of each application, including gate
dimensions, offset distance, compound tack characteristics, molding
temperature, etc. are discussed below.
EXAMPLE 1
FIG. 4 represents a first sample composite article 40 formed by the
inventive process. Molding compound was fed by a runner to an inlet gate
of a molding cavity. In the present example, the molding cavity measured 5
inches (12.7 cm).times.5 inches (12.7 cm).times.1 inch (2.54 cm). The gate
had a corresponding thickness of 0.01 inches (0.025 cm) and a length of
1.3 inches (3.3 cm). After curing, a sample slice 44 was taken from the
sample at a point a distance x1 inward from the inlet gate 24. The
distance x1 was equal to 0.75 inches (1.9 cm).
With continuing reference to FIG. 4, four plugs A,B,C,D of the sample slice
44 having faces perpendicular to the original flow direction were analyzed
regarding fiber orientation by solvent swelling techniques. Plug H was
formed in the inlet gate was also analyzed. The results are summarized in
TABLE I below:
TABLE I
Solvent Swelling Ratio
Gate (Plug H)--0.80 in first direction (parallel to first flow direction)
Plug A--0.80 in second direction (generally perpendicular to first flow
direction)
Plug B--0.88 in second direction (generally perpendicular to first flow
direction)
Plug C--0.86 in second direction (generally perpendicular to first flow
direction)
Plug D--0.94 in second direction (generally perpendicular to first flow
direction)
As is apparent, the orientation of the fibers in the cured composite
article 40 is influenced by the length and thickness of the gate
dimensions. Therefore, it is possible to produce a short fiber/rubber
composite article wherein the fiber orientation is optimized according to
the stresses it is designed to withstand during its intended use.
EXAMPLE 2
With reference to FIG. 5, it is also possible to form a composite article
through an injection molding process wherein the molding compound 52 is
introduced into a mold cavity 20 through inlet gates 56. The resulting
composite article would then comprise a plurality of areas, each having
fibers oriented in a predetermined direction determined by the regions 57,
58, 59 of the mold cavity 20 filled through associated inlet gates 56.
Such composite articles may include tire components. For example, the
inventive process herein described can be used with treads, retreads,
apexes, sidewalls, chafers and toeguards.
With reference to FIG. 6, a tire apex 60 is shown as one example of a tire
component formed according to the present invention. Because of the
position of the apex 60 in a tire sidewall region (not shown),
longitudinal strength is required in areas A1 and A2, and lateral strength
is required in area A3. It is generally understood that composite articles
possess higher tensile strength in the fiber direction and lower tensile
strength perpendicular to fiber orientation. Therefore, it is sometimes
favorable to orient the fibers 64 in areas A1 and A2 in directions which
differ considerably from the fiber orientation in area A3.
With reference to FIGS. 5 and 6, fiber direction is oriented perpendicular
to the injection direction in region 59 and then changed to the direction
parallel to the injection direction due to cavity gauge narrow down at the
regions 57, 58.
With continuing reference to FIG. 6, the fibers 64 in areas A1 and A2 are
generally aligned longitudinally, while the fibers 64 of area A3 are
generally laterally aligned.
EXAMPLE 3
FIG. 7 shows a molded part 70, formed by an injection molding process in
mold 72 according to the invention. The molded part includes two areas 74,
76. If only one inlet gate is used, FIG. 7, the side close to the gate,
cavity 74, will have fiber oriented in the direction perpendicular to the
injection direction, but the other side, cavity 76, will have fibers
oriented in the direction parallel to the injection direction. This is
because the groove will break up the folding phenomenon as shown in FIG.
7. FIG. 8 shows that two inlet gates are used. The short fibers are
oriented in the direction perpendicular to the injection direction in both
cavities.
The preferred elastomeric materials for use in the methods of the present
invention include those commonly used in the production of tires,
including passenger and radial medium truck tires, such as natural
rubbers, synthetic rubbers, and their blends. The reinforcing fibers are
generally known as "short fibers" and may be kevlar pulp, nylon,
fiberglass, hyten, acrylic and the like having a length in the range of
from 0.1 microns to 10.sup.3 microns. Generally, any fiber able to
withstand the temperatures associated with injection molding and rubber
curing can conceivably be used if they are chosen with sound engineering
judgment for the particular application in mind. However, the invention
has wider applicability and should not be restricted only to elastomeric
materials used in the manufacture of tires. These compounds may have to be
slightly modified for injection molding applications, such as through the
use of accelerators, lubricants, and other additives within the skill of
the art.
The preferred embodiments have been described, hereinabove. It will be
apparent to those skilled in the art that the above methods may
incorporate changes and modifications without departing from the general
scope of this invention. It is intended to include all such modifications
and alterations in so far as they come within the scope of the appended
claims or the equivalents thereof.
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